A Matter of Class
77. Mary Balogh, A Matter of Class
The Masons and the Ashtons have lived next door to each other for decades - and have been bitter enemies the whole time. Bernard Mason is a former tradesman from the north of England who made his fortune in coal mining; William Ashton is the haughty but financially distressed Earl of Havercroft. Though Havercroft wants nothing to do with his ungenteel neighbors, Mason dreams of being accepted in the highest levels of society; and when Havercroft’s daughter, Lady Annabelle Ashton, scandalously attempts to elope with a coachman, Mason sees his chance. He arranges a marriage between Annabelle and his son Reginald, which Havercroft reluctantly accepts in order to save his daughter from ruin. But can Reggie and Anna be happy with this arrangement - and will it satisfy their antagonistic parents?
I decided to read this book after seeing the positive review at Giraffe Days, and I’m glad I did. This short novel is a sweet Regency romance with likeable characters and a unique aspect to the plot. Every other chapter is a flashback showing previous years of Anna and Reggie’s relationship. Normally the overuse of flashbacks is a pet peeve of mine, but in this book I think it’s necessary to develop the romance. There’s not very much depth to the book, but that’s unsurprising given its length, and I still found it a quick and enjoyable read. I’d recommend it to fans of Regency romance, and I will consider reading more by this author.